Spring is just over a week old, but the NIU women’s tennis team is well into its spring season.

This weekend the team will travel to Oxford, Ohio, with its 5-9 record to do battle with state rival ISU Saturday at 2 p.m. and the Redskins of Miami at 9 a.m.

The Huskies have never beaten Miami, but hope to fare well against ISU, according to NIU coach Patty Fick. The Huskie boss said the team’s record is not an indicator of the squad’s true ability. Fick said she expects improvement as the season continues.

“Our goal this weekend will be to beat ISU,” she said.

Freshman Natasha Koprivica—who was beaten in her No. 1 seed in the Kansas and Southern Illinois meet last weekend, but came back to defeat her Principia opponent—sees a problem with the weather.

“Going from indoor courts to outdoor courts could be a factor this weekend,” Koprivica said.

Although the 5-9 record may not appear impressive, the team is far from lacking in talent. London, Ontario, native LeeAnne Milne is one of the team’s top competitors.

“LeeAnne is presently our most consistent player on the team,” Fick said.

Milne said she feels comfortable with her present baseline style of play, and believes she is holding her own.

Last weekend the Huskies traveled to Carbondale where they split their matches. They defeated Principia 6-0 with straight-set victories in each singles match. However, they fell to SIU 6-3.

Fick said her team is helped by the performance of her doubles players.

“I expect my players to give everything, nothing less is expected,” said Fick, who is now in her fourth year at NIU.

Recruitment of the players seems to be a global issue with Fick, considering she has more than a couple of foreign players.

The players are all competitively experienced and know the game well. Natasha Koprivicaa, who comes from Rome, Italy, is optimistic about the team.

“There is a lot of talent on our team,” she said. “We can become a very strong team.”

With a relatively young Huskie squad, there is room to become stronger. One may think this team lacks fundamentals, but that is far from the truth according to Fick. She believes her team is fundamentally sound with room for mental improvement on the court.

Team discipline is not much of a problem, as the players know what is expected of them and dedicate their time to tennis and academics.

Next week, the Huskies will play host to Wheaton College. The contest will be Wednesday, April 6 at 3 p.m. on the tennis courts near Stevenson South Towers.